Humidifier.



J. I. HAYNES. HUMIDIFIBR. APPLICATION FILED JULY 19, 1913.

Patented Nov. 24, 1914.

STS

HUMIDIFIER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 24L, 1914.

Application filed July 19, 1913. Serial No. 779,897.

To all whom'c't may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN I. HAYNES, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Humidifiers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to devices that are used for cooling and purifying air.

The main object of my. invention is to provide a portable device of simple construction for humidifying the air in a room.

Another object is to provide a device that can be combined with an ordinary electric fan for humidifying, cooling and filtering the air set in motion by the. blades of the fan. And still another object is to provide an attachment for an electric fan which comprises a strip of fabric arranged in the path of the current of air from the blades of the fan and means for causing said strip of fabric to travel through an iced bath while the fan is in motion so as to always keep the strip sufficiently moist to humidify and cool the air that passes through same, the strip of fabric operating to collect the impurities in the air and thus filter the air.

Other objects and desirable features of my invention will be hereinafter pointed out. Figure 1 of the drawings is a vertical sectional view of a device constructed in accordance with my invention, taken on approximately the line 11 of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a horizontal'sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the device, QmPOItlOIl of the housing or casing being broken away so as to show the strip of fabric through which the current of air from the fan passes.

The device herein shown, which represents" 'by the blades of an ordinary electric fan B will pass through same, means for driving said strip A, and means for keeping said strip saturated with a' soluti on that will moisten and cool the air whlch 1s forced I through the strip by the fan B. The device vertically disposed partition 3 that extends interior is divided or separated into an ice compartment 1 and a tank 2 by means of a transversely of said base portion, said partition 3 having slots or openings, as shown in Fig. 1, so that the Water from the ice in the compartment 1 can flow into the tank 2, and thus form an iced bath. The endless strip of fabric A is mounted on two horizontallydisposed rollers 4: and 4? arranged one above the other, as shown in Fig. 1, so that the fabric A will be held in a vertical position infront of the fan B, the housing D, which incases the strip of fabric A, being provided at its rear side with a cylindrical-shaped portion 5 in which the blades of the fan B are arranged. The housing D is preferably formed separate and distinct from the base portion C of the device and carries the rollers 4 and 4? and also the means for driving the strip of fabric A, thus enabling the device to be taken apart easily when it is desired to fill the ice compartment or clean the device. The base portion C is provided with a removable top 6 that normally closes the ice compartment 1 and the tank 2 and acts as a support for the electric fan B. The portion of the housing D which incases the strip of fabric A is oblong-shaped, and the horizontally-disposed shafts for the rollers 4 and 4: are journale'd in the vertical side walls of same. The lower end of the oblongshaped portion of the housing D is open, as shown in Fig. 1, so that the roller 4 Wlll project into the bath in the tank 2, and at the point where the cylindrical-shaped portion 5 projects rearwardly from the houslng D the rear wall of said housing 18 cut away so that the air from the blades of the fan B can pass through the freshly moistened por tion ofthe strip of fabric A asindrcated by the arrows-in Fig. 2. Inother words, the; housing D consists of an oblong-box-shapedg 95 portion open at its lower end and provided onv its rear wall with a cylindrical-shaped portion which communicates with the interior of said boxshaped portion. The blades of the fanwith which the device is used project into the cylindrical-shapedportion of the housing, andthe endless strip of fabric A is arranged in such a position that it will travel acrossthe cylindrical-shaped portion of the housing in front of the fan B, thereby causing the air set in motion by the blades of the fan to pass through said fabric 1 and absorb moisture from same. I prefer to :arrange a substantially V-shapeddeflector 7 broken lines in Fig. 1, so as to collect any drops of moisture in the air that passes through the fabric A and thus Prevent the water from escaping from the device with the air, the drops of water that collect on the ribs 7 flowing downwardly into the tank 2. The lower end of the oblong-shaped portion of thehousing D projects through an o ening in the top 6 of the base portion C of tl fe device, and is provided with flanges 9 that rest on said top 6 and thus sustain the housing D in position.

Any suitable means may be provided for driving the endless strip of fabric A so as to cause said strip to travel through the iced-bath in'the tank 2 and thus keep said strip saturated. In the device herein shown a horizontally-disposed worm-shaft 10 that is journaled in bearin s 11 carried by the cylindrical-shaped portlon 5 of the housing B, is provided at its rear'end with a crank arm 12 which projects between two blades of the fan B, thereby causing said wormshaft to rotate when the fan B is in operation. A vertically-disposed shaft 13; which is journaled in a bearing on the cylindricalshaped portion 5 ofth'e housing B, is provided at its lower end with a worm-wheel 14 that meshes with the worm-shaft 10, and at its upper endwith a worm 15, as shown in Fig 1, that meshes with a worm-wheel 16 on a horizontally-disposed shaft 17 which is provided with pinions 18 and 19 of different sizes that mesh with cooperating 'pinions 18 and 19 on the shaft of roller 4 clutches 20 and 21 being provided for connecting the pinions 18 and 19, respectively, to the shaft 17. If it is desired todrive the endless strip of fabric A at a certain speed 1 the clutch- 20 is actuated so as to. connect the pinion 18 to the shaft 17, and if itis desired "to drive said strip at a different-speed the pinion 18 is 'disconnectedffrom'the shaft '17 employed for drivingt e endless strip of 1,11. iaaoo fabric A, and while I prefer to use a variable speed driving mechanism this is not essential to the successful operation of my device.

'When the fan B is in motion the endless strip of fabric A will travel through the current of air created by the blades of the fan and consequently will humidify and cool the air at the same time collecting and removing dust and-other impurities in the air. As the strip A travels continuously through the bath in the tank 2, a freshly moistened surface is being continually presented to the air from the fan B, and as the tank 2 is so arranged that the water from the ice in the ice compartment will flow into said tank,

the bath in said tank will be replenished automatically when the device is in use.

The device is small enough to be handled conveniently so that it forms an efficient portable device for humidifying the air in a room; it is of simple construction and can be combined easily with an ordinary electric i said device comprising a tank for holding a bath, an endless strip of fabric arranged to travel through said bath, and a driving mechanism for moving said strip provided with means that is adapted to be engaged by the blade of the fan.

2. A device for the purpose described that is adapted to be used withan electric fan,

said device comprising a base portion having an ice compartment and a tank for receiving the water that drains from said ice compartment, a housing carried by said base portion and provided with a pair of horizontally-disposed rollers, an endless strip of fabric mounted on said rollers, mechanism adapted to be operated by the fan for retating one of said rollers so as to cause said strip of fabric to travel through the water in said tank, and a portion on said housing arranged opposite one side of said strip for receiving the blades of the fan with which the device is used, said housing having deflectors which are so arranged that the current of air from the blades of the fan will pass through a freshly moistened portion of said strip and then be thrown forwardly from the housing. and the clutch'21 is operated'so as to con: nectthe. pinion 19 to the. shaft 17. It.i s'= immaterial, however, sojfar as my broad idea is/concerned what articularmeans is 3. A device for the purpose described that is adapted to be used with an electric fan, comprising a movable strip of fabric arranged to travel in front of the fan, a tank containing a bath through which said strip passes, a deflector arranged in front of a I In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my portion of the strip through which the air signature in the presence of two witnesses, from the fan passes, and means on said dethis sixteenth day of July 1913.

flector for collecting drops of moisture in JOHN I. HAYNES. 5 the air that strikes said deflector and con- Witnessesi ducting said drops of moisture back to said WELLS L. CHURCH,

tank. Y GEORGE BAKEWELL. 

